Quick out of the Blocks; Maroons Need to Get a Jump Start on Blues in Game Two, Says Queensland Origin Hero Shane Webcke

Quick out of the Blocks; Maroons Need to Get a Jump Start on Blues in Game Two, Says Queensland Origin Hero Shane Webcke

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Byline: TONY DURKIN

CONJECTURE that New South Wales will dominate the Australian World Cup team at the end of the year if the Blues seal the Origin series at Suncorp Stadium tonight would be the furthest thing from the minds of the Queenslanders.

A Sydney newspaper report on Monday claimed the recent Queensland domination of Kangaroo teams would be over if the Blues won tonight, and named just seven Maroons in a speculated 17-man World Cup team.

But former Queensland champion Shane Webcke said such supposition would never act as a spur for the Maroons.

aSomething like that would not resonate with the players a it would rate zilch on their radar,a Webcke said.

aThey wouldnat be thinking about that outcome, and they most certainly shouldnat be either.

aUppermost in their preparation thoughts will be the intensity at which they start the game tonight and how they control the middle of the field.a

Like most good judges, Webcke, who made 21 Origin appearances for Queensland, was stunned at the lethargy of the Maroons from the kick-off to Origin I.

aSure we lost the forward battle, but just as significant was our sluggish start,a he said. aTo win game two we simply have to jump out of the blocks, and that is definitely an attitude thing.

aWinning at Origin level is not just a simple case of start well-finish well, but if we donat hit the ground running this time, we will be jumped again and will most probably lose again. …